The Cohiba Blue is the latest extension of the Cohiba line from General Cigar Co. Offered at the lowest price point among General’s Cohiba offerings, it is designed to be more approachable and provide consumers with an entry point into the Cohiba line.

Prelight:

The bright blue band really stands out on this cigar making it easy to spot in a humidor. The prelight draw had grassy and wood notes with a touch of sweetness. The wrapper was caramel brown in color with noticeable veins, but it was smooth to the touch and exhibited a oily shine.

First Third:

Upon lighting the cigar and taking a few puffs I was really surprised by the amount of black pepper spice. The retrohale was especially spicy and the primary flavors for about the first ½ inch were black and red pepper spice. The pepper started to subside giving way to wood, grassy flavors, and the smoke had a creamy overall texture. There was an earthy clay-like quality in mix too that I find to be common among many Dominican cigars. Sometimes I’m not a big fan of this flavor profile if the rest of the cigar does not provide adequate balance. This Cohiba Blue provided that balance with the level of spice, sweetness and wood flavors. The first third of this cigar was a solid medium in both strength and body.

Second Third:

The spice continued to fade as I progressed into the second third. The earthy flavors from the first third remained and became a more dominant component of the overall flavor profile. There were notes of cocoa and coffee flavors along with wood flavors, and a hint of sweetness. The smoke texture continued to be very creamy and thick. The second third of this cigar was more of a mild-medium in strength while the body remained firmly in medium territory.

Final Third:

The final third continued the trend of decreasing intensity with the pepper backing off even further and being only noticeable on the retrohale. The wood flavors and earthy quality really stood out without the pepper from earlier. The final third of this cigar was mild-medium in strength and body.

Final Thoughts:

This cigar didn’t strike me as anything special but it was a solid smoke, and would make a good first cigar of the day paired with coffee. The price point is lower than the other Cohiba offerings from General, and I think it’s worth a try for those who have not yet explored General’s Cohiba lines, or for those current fans of the other Cohiba lines looking for a less expensive option.